Mapping, navigation and other user-location based applications today collect and utilize user location information to provide users with enhanced services and improve existing location technologies that benefit the user. For example, mapping systems like Google Maps for Mobile can send real-time, updated information to a user's mobile device such as a cell phone to display maps of the user's position as he or she travels from one point to the next, with the help of GPS, cellular or WiFi location technologies. User location information, such as GPS, WiFi and/or cell ID data, is collected by such systems so that this information can be used for the benefit of the user, such as improving the accuracy and coverage of the underlying location technologies or providing the user with location-enhanced services such as street maps, route planners for travel by foot or by car, business locator services, or even providing location-aware advertisements.
Gathering, utilizing, and storing user location information, however, can present a number of challenges. From a privacy standpoint, there should be balance between the need to know a particular user's location for the benefit of the user who desires particular location-related services and information, and privacy concerns about storing information that pairs location information to specific users. Further, in gathering user location data, care must be taken to ensure that the location data being collected and analyzed is legitimate information from actual users and not resulting from third party automated programs attempting to gain access to database information, or to compromise the systems with false user location information.
Thus, with regard to how much and for how long user location information should be collected and stored, there can be tension between the business utility of the information and user privacy. On one hand, the more data collected, the more interesting and useful business uses created for users. As such, collecting comprehensive user location data can help create better products and services for end users. On the other hand, due to the sensitive nature of the location data and user privacy concerns, removing personally identifiable information and/or storing less information may be desirable as well. Therefore, collection and retention of user location data can be a delicate trade-off, often with no single correct solution to the problem.
In addition, location data systems can be subject to unauthorized uses such as by spammers and scrapers who introduce undesirable data and strains into such systems.